


New Beginnings

by Sweetgirl2019



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetgirl2019/pseuds/Sweetgirl2019
Summary: After they defeated Chuck, Jack brought Cas back from the Empty and Dean realized the second chance he's been given, a chance to give Cas an answer to his confession
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 114





	New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Supernatural or any of the characters

*****

Dean stood in the doorway of his room, peering inside. For the entirety of his youth and early years as an adult, all he had ever known were motel rooms and the Impala. When he and Sam had discovered the bunker, Dean could barely contain his giddiness. He finally had his own bedroom, one where he didn’t have to deal with Sam’s snoring and other noises; one where he could disappear to when things were tough. Having his own room had also proved useful each and every time Cas had died. Unable to deal with Sam’s sympathetic eyes or his endless need to talk things out, Dean would go to his room and let the heartache he was feeling crawl out. When the Mark was on his arm, he used his bedroom as another form of escape, a way to rein in all the anger that was constantly there, just lingering under the surface.

Now, standing at the edge of his doorway looking in, he felt an emptiness that had long been considered nameless. After everything that had happened the past year, he and Sam and Jack had finally defeated Chuck. The crushed look on Chuck’s face when Jack absorbed his powers was one that Dean would never forget. Once Jack had rebuilt the whole world and brought people back, he had bid the Winchesters farewell, promising that the God he had become would be different than the last.

Dean smiled as he thought back to the kid. Although their relationship had started ugly and deteriorated after his Mom, he couldn’t help but admit that he loved Jack as his own. Now that he was the new God, Dean felt as if a weight had finally been lifted. He trusted Jack to be true to his word, to be what God should have been in the first place. The only things that were missing were Eileen and Cas. When the world returned, so did Eileen, bringing the smile back to Sam’s eyes. They had spent the first week barely leaving his room, flushing furiously when they had finally come out. Dean had been happy for his brother, happy that he had finally found someone to share this life with. Through all the pain, heartache, blood, and misery they had been through, Sam deserved to have that kind of happiness.

Hearing a small sound down the hallway, Dean leaned on the doorframe and closed his eyes. As Jack had said goodbye, Dean had been too overwhelmed at the time to ask him about Cas. But seeing Sam and Eileen together had magnified the open wound Dean had felt inside his chest. His heart was heavy and broken, damaged beyond repair, thinking that Cas was gone, never to return again. This time, things had felt final. This time, before the Empty had reached out to take him, Cas had confessed a truth that had left Dean amazed.

_I love you_

For so long, Dean had wondered if the Angel felt emotions like the rest of them, if he understood concepts of family, friendship, and love? He had always known that Cas cared but did he feel it the way that Dean did, or Sam? Over the years, with every new choice that Cas had made, it opened Dean’s eyes and allowed him to see how much the Angel had changed, from blind warrior to the one who risked it all, Heaven and Hell, to stand beside them. Hearing his tearful confession, hearing him tell Dean how much he meant, how he saw him as loving and caring, how Dean had changed him, made him feel and made him _love_ had been too much for Dean to handle at that moment. Cas hadn’t just said that he loved humanity. He had loved _Dean_ above it all, loved him in a way that had suddenly made so many shared moments make sense. Dean had been too overwhelmed to do much more than say Cas’ name in those crucial seconds. But as he had sat there on the floor after Cas had been taken and repeated every last confessed word to himself, all the puzzle pieces had finally fit in place. Friendship and family were no longer good enough to describe what Cas meant to him. Cas was all of those things to Sam but with Dean, it was different. With Dean, it had always been different.

The noise grew louder and Dean tilted his body towards the hallway, still lost in his thoughts. The days after Chuck’s defeat and Jack’s farewell, Dean had spent every waking moment in quiet reflection. He’d gone over every moment he had shared with Cas, every word of significance they had ever spoken, every comment made about them from Heaven and Hell.

_Castiel has a weakness. He likes you._

_You have me confused with the other Angel. You know, the one in the dirty trenchcoat who’s in love with you._

_When Castiel first laid a hand on you in Hell, he was lost._

_My superiors have begun to question my sympathies. I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. You._

_I’m hunted, I rebelled and I did it, all of it, for you_

_Dean and I do share a more profound bond._

_Dean, I do everything that you ask. I always come when you call._

_Maybe you could fight the Mark for years. Maybe centuries, like Cain did. But you can’t fight it forever. And when you turn, and you will turn, Sam and everyone you know, everyone you love, they will be long dead. Everyone except me. I’m the one who will have to watch you murder the world. So if there’s even a small chance that we can save you, I won’t let you out of this room._

_Cas, I hope you can hear me, wherever you are. I should have stopped you. You’re my best friend but I just let you go. ‘Cause it was easier than admitting I was wrong. I don’t know why I get so angry. I just know that it’s always been there. And when things go bad, it just comes out. And I can’t stop it. No matter how bad I want to. I just can’t stop it. And I forgive you. Of course I forgive you. I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m sorry it took me ‘til now to say it._

_Cas, it’s me. We’re family. We need you. I need you._

_I love you_

So many words had been exchanged over the years, words that held hidden meanings and yet in the end, so much had been left unsaid. Mourning Cas had been nothing new for Dean but each time he lost his best friend, each time was harder than the last. Losing him after his confession felt like a jagged knife had been twisted into Dean’s heart, holding in place. He had been angry at himself for not speaking up in that moment; angry for so much time that had gone to waste; angry that he had been so blind for all those years. But Jack had proven to be a merciful God when he had rescued Cas from the Empty, transporting him back to the bunker after Christmas night. Dean had stood frozen in place, eyes locked with Cas, neither really believing the moment. Sam had been first to greet him, hugging Cas close in a way that signified their close friendship bond. Cas had smiled at Sam but his eyes had kept flickering back to Dean, a myriad of emotions playing out on his face. He was hopeful and wary, nervous, and happy, waiting and watching until Dean had finally crossed the room and closed the gap between them. Holding Cas close, pinning the Angel to his chest, all Dean could do was tilt his face inwards and breathe him in. Tentative arms had wrapped around him as Cas had slowly given in. They had stood there, holding each other, neither willing to speak from fear of waking and discovering it had all been a dream. When Dean had finally pulled back, Sam had disappeared down the hall. Dean had wanted to say everything all at once but he’d stepped back instead. The light had dimmed in Cas’ eyes and as much as Dean had wanted to reach out and smooth the frown away, he had an idea of how he wanted things to play out.

Laughing mildly, Dean looked up as Cas reached his doorway in the present. They stood a few feet apart, the silence comfortable, eyes roaming as they took each other in. Long ago, in the dark corners of his own mind, Dean had wondered how it would feel to pass through that final barrier and pull Cas against him. While such thoughts had years ago scared him, they no longer held the same weight as they once did. Cas was alive and back again. Dean understood the chance he’d been given and damned if he were going to let that chance go to waste.

“Are you alright?” Cas asked, watching him the way he always did.

“Yeah,” Dean finally spoke up, motioning with his chin over his shoulder. “Was thinking of putting a second nightstand in here.”

Cas frowned, peering past him to look inside the room. “Seems practical.”

“Not why I wanna do it,” Dean mumbled but before Cas could question him, Sam popped his head around the corner.

“It’s New Years eve,” Sam said, his smile carefree for the first time in so long. “Eileen’s in the kitchen getting drinks ready. She wants us to watch fireworks on TV and have a quiet night in.”

“Sounds good, Sammy,” Dean said, his own smile growing.

“How about you guys? Any plans?”

Before Cas could answer, Dean straightened to his full height, uncurling his arms from his chest. “I thought me and Cas could maybe go for a drive.” He could feel the wide eyes watching him and slowly met the gaze. When Cas simply nodded, Dean’s smile widened, eyes falling back to his brother. “Have fun, Sammy. Be safe. Wear condoms.”

Sam gave him a look of irritation but quickly leaned forward to pull Dean into a solid hug. “Feels good to do this without the world in peril for once.”

Dean chuckled as he moved backwards. “No chick flick moments, Sammy.”

Their banter could have continued like it normally did but instead, Sam tapped Dean’s forehead with his own, high with brotherly affection.

“No more being afraid, Dean. We’re free.”

They shared another look before Sam gave Cas a pat on his shoulder and walked out. When Dean turned his attention back to Cas, the Angel’s gaze was already on him, waiting and watching in patience.

“You good with that? Going for a drive?” Dean asked.

Cas gave another nod and it was enough for Dean to reach forward. Curling his fingers around Cas’ arm, he pulled the Angel closer as their eyes locked in the silence. A few beats passed, the air around them charged, until Dean gave a final squeeze and stepped into the hall. He made his way towards the garage, knowing that Cas would follow. The thought made the fluttering in Dean’s stomach expand. Even when they had argued, even when hurt and betrayal had kept them at a distance, they had always been drawn back together again. The bond between them was one for the ages, a connection that even Demons and Angels had questioned but never fully comprehended.

Climbing behind Baby’s wheel with Cas beside him and a cooler full of beer in the backseat, Dean pulled away from the bunker and drove out into the dark. Less than an hour remained until midnight, until the crippling year of heartache and misery could finally be left behind. They drove together in comfortable silence, trading occasional glances as the music played quietly in the background. When he was miles away from the bunker, Dean pulled the Impala down a country road, stopping in the middle of a field. Cas tossed him a look of confusion but joined Dean as they slid onto Baby’s hood outside, the cooler left on the grass below. Leaning backwards, they stared up at the night sky, littered with stars that filled the darkness overhead.

“Sam and I do this sometimes,” Dean said after a minute. “Whenever things got too difficult and we needed a moment just to ourselves, away from it all, we’d drive out here and stare up at the stars. Some nights, we could hardly see anything in the sky. Other nights, they were shining bright like right now.” He looked over and caught Cas watching him with a soft expression. “Feels good, doing this with you.”

“Yes,” Cas replied quietly.

“Where do you think Jack is?” Dean asked.

“Everywhere,” Cas said with a smile. “He has chosen not to be hands on but his presence is felt in the world around us. In all of the good there is.”

Dean nodded and looked up. “You know, I was rough on the kid in the beginning. You were gone and he was there and I just took all of my anger, all of my resentment and distrust and aimed it at the kid. I regret it now but back then, I could hardly see straight. It was a bad time for me, those weeks that you were gone.”

Cas tilted his body towards Dean but stayed quiet, giving him the space to voice what he needed to say.

“Don’t get me wrong. Sam mourned you, too, but with me, it was different. It’s always been different,” Dean said, glancing over and seeing the emotions playing out in Cas’ gaze. “When I was younger, a small part of me thought that maybe one day, I’d settle down. Once Yellow Eyes was dead, maybe I could carve some sort of normal in my life. But it didn’t happen with Cassie and things never really happened with Jo. With Lisa? You know how that all worked out.” He sighed quietly but didn’t look away. “Then things just kept going from bad to worse. Sam’s soul, the Leviathans, Bobby dying, Purgatory, the gates, Kevin, Gadreel, the Mark; Charlie, me becoming a demon, the Darkness. _Mom_.”

He took a deep breath at her thought and felt Cas’ shoulders drop at the mention. Dean no longer carried the anger he once did and turned to Cas with a small smile instead.

“I think it was around the time Amara was making her play. Sam and I went on a hunt and we met a pair of hunters, Jesse and Cesar. At first, I thought they were like me and Sam but they weren’t. They were together, a couple, and it made me wonder. Maybe a hunter could settle down but the way it made sense was if they settled down with someone who understood the life. For Sammy, he found Eileen.”

Dean felt the intensity from Cas’ gaze and turned towards him again. They sat together for a beat in silence, the stillness of the night peaceful, allowing Dean’s nerves to settle so he could finish saying what he started.

“Cas, you gotta know that I never thought anyone could even come close to mattering to me as much as Sam. Not even Dad came that close. Not even Mom,” Dean started. “For so long, it was Sammy and me. It was always Sammy and me. But then you showed up and you saved me from Hell and you were always just there.”

“You stabbed me that first day,” Cas said, smiling at the memory that sprang up.

Dean tilted his head back and laughed. “Yeah, I kinda hated you that night. Hated the thought of you. Hated you before I even knew you. You gotta admit you were an ass back then.”

Cas’ smile became fond as he looked down but Dean couldn’t leave it like that. He couldn’t let his words have a different impact from what he intended.

“But then you rebelled and went against everything you knew, everything you understood and you did it, all of it, for us.”

“For _you_ ,” Cas corrected, reminding them of the conversation they had once shared in Bobby’s hospital room years ago. “Dean, it was for you. All of it. I care for Sam. He is a brother, a friend. My family. But it started, all of it, with you. _For_ you. _Because_ of you.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that,” Dean spoke softly and swallowed the thickness in his throat. “Every time you died, it hollowed me out. Felt like a wound that couldn’t heal.”

Cas raised his hand, reaching out a few inches and stopped midway. His fingers twitched in the air before he slowly lowered to cover Dean’s hand. Instead of pulling away or demanding space, Dean turned his hand over, palm facing towards Heaven. He heard the quick intake of breath from Cas’ surprise before their fingers twined together. The night air was cool but their grip radiated warmth through Dean’s body.

“Everything you said to me that day, before the Empty came,” Dean said and licked the dryness from his lips. “I never thought I’d see you again. I thought that was it. That was the final time.”

“I’m sorry,” Cas began but Dean shook his head, eyes pleading with the Angel to understand.

“You told me I was the most caring man on Earth.”

“Yes,” Cas whispered, unable to look away.

Dean took a sharp breath. “You told me I was the most selfless, loving human you would ever know. That knowing me changed you. That you cared because I did.”

“Yes,” Cas said again, the word sounding like a prayer.

Tightening his grip on Cas’ hand, a shaky breath fell from Dean’s lips. “You told me you loved me.”

“I do,” Cas replied, eyes shining. “Everything I am, everything I became and did and cared for and loved, it was all because of you.”

Dean closed his eyes and felt a single tear slip out. His heart was full of so many emotions, overwhelmed but elated. When he felt a gentle press against his cheek, he leaned against the touch, seeking its warmth, unable to pull away. He opened his eyes and stared into the deepest blue. It was a gaze that had watched over him, shattered, and healed him and loved him in the same breath. It was everything he had always secretly longed for, a sense of belonging, a feeling of home and safety and devotion. All the steps they had taken, all the choices they had made had led them to this moment. But Chuck was no longer holding the reins. When their lips finally pressed together in the silence, it was because they both wanted it. Their bond, forged in Hell when Castiel had first gripped him, was a connection that had never broken against all odds.

The kiss was soft, nothing more than a gentle press of lips. When Dean made a noise of contentment, released from a place of need deep inside, the dam finally broke between them. Cas tugged him closer by the hands they still held, their bodies molding together. His free hand traveled to the small of Dean’s back and up his spine, ending in his hair, buried in the strands as if they were meant to be there always. At the first hint of tongue, Dean made another noise and couldn’t help but lean even closer as his mouth fell open. It was clumsy and messy but perfect. All Dean could feel and touch and taste was Cas, inside and all around.

They leaned back for air only when the need grew too intense. Not wanting the distance to extend, Dean tucked his face into the hollow of Cas’ neck, breathing him in. He could feel the tension in Cas’s muscles as his hands trailed up and down, mapping Dean’s body with nervous movements.

“I love you, too.”

Dean whispered the words so quietly that Cas instantly froze, stumbling backwards a few inches. Wide eyes roamed across Dean’s face, imploring, and searching, desperate in their need to find answers. Smiling softly, Dean freed his hand and let his fingers curl behind Cas’ neck, holding him in place.

“I love you,” he repeated more firmly and Cas all but fell against him.

The kiss was hard and claiming, satisfying a need deep inside Dean. Feeling the stubble rubbing across his face sent an excited chill through his body. What would have felt weird or off-putting before now felt perfectly right. 

“What happens now?” Dean asked when they pulled back to catch their breaths.

They were wrapped around each other, lips tilted inwards, grazing across whatever stretch of skin they could find. Cas had wriggled a hand between their bodies, pressing against their chests, breathing to the sound of Dean's heart.

“We go home,” Cas said without pause. “I very much enjoy kissing you. I would like to continue kissing you if you are in agreement.”

Dean smiled at the direct words. “I think we can do that.”

“And perhaps when you are ready,” Cas added, his fingers reaching for Dean’s collar and pulling it down so his lips could leave a gentle bite at the exposed skin. “Perhaps when you are ready, we can do other things.”

Dean couldn’t help the sudden flush that filled his face. “You trying to get me into bed?”

“Yes,” Cas replied, the firm response and the low voice making Dean shift in place. “I would like to be close to you, Dean, in any and every way you allow.”

“We can do that too,” Dean whispered, his voice breaking at the end.

The smile Cas gave him made his breath catch. It was full of a promise of things to come, of everything they had long denied themselves or been too inept or stubborn to admit out loud.

“Would you retire?” Cas suddenly asked, the words bringing Dean out of his thoughts.

“From hunting?” he said with a shrug. “With Jack the big man on campus, I don’t know. It’s like a weight’s finally been lifted. I mean, monsters will still be out there but maybe we can take a step back, relax a little. I don’t think I could ever fully quit. Hunting’s a part of who I am, it’s in my blood, ingrained in me, you know? But maybe we can take a breath and not let it be so important.”

Cas’ smile widened in understanding. A sudden thought made Dean loosen his grip around Cas’ neck, hands falling between them, fingers twining again.

“Would you stay?” he asked, memories hitting him full force. “Would you stay with me?”

“Yes,” Cas said, head tilting in confusion as if his answer should be obvious.

“Cas,” Dean tried again. “If we do this, I can’t handle you taking off or disappearing to who knows where without a word whenever something big or small happens. I can’t handle you going off for days or weeks without any word from you at all. I’m not saying you can’t do your own thing but it can’t be like it was. I’ll lose my damn mind.”

“It’s a good thing I intend to stay,” Cas said, closing the gap between them. “Dean, the world is finally safe. In Jack’s hands, we can trust that the peril that has consumed us for so many years has settled down. We can take a step back, like you said. Both of us.”

“And you’d do that?” Dean asked, needing the words repeated. “You wouldn’t get bored or antsy or tired?

The smile Cas gave him turned sweet as the Angel leaned in to hold Dean’s face with both hands. “Perhaps it’s time I put away my Grace.”

“What? No!” Dean exclaimed, trying to pull back but Cas continued to hold him. “Cas, what are you talking about? You can’t do that. You’d be human.”

“Is the idea so bad?” Cas asked, tilting his head in his signature way.

Dean released a heavy sigh. “You can’t do that. It’s your Grace, Cas. It’s a part of you, who you are. After everything you’ve been through?”

“Yes, and it’s my choice and I choose this life with you,” Cas said, his voice growing quiet. “I choose to grow old with you.”

Dean felt the same fluttering inside him as he took the words to heart. Could it be that simple? Could Cas choose humanity, to set aside his Grace and live a life with him?

“You’d resent me,” Dean voiced his first fear but Cas was quick to shake his head.

“Dean, ever since that night in the barn when we first met, I found myself more suited for humanity than I did with Heaven,” Cas explained. “All the time I spent by your side and with Sam and Bobby and your Mother confirmed it. The last time I lost my Grace, I was a poor imitation of a human, fumbling around lost and confused. I do not intend to make the same mistakes.”

“That was my fault. I kicked you out,” Dean cut in but Cas covered his mouth with gentle fingers.

“It was different back then and everything is different now,” Cas reminded. “Doing this is my choice, Dean. I choose happiness and you are at the very root of it. It’s why the Empty took me. You are my true happiness, Dean. You always have been, even before I understood what any of it even meant.”

“Are you sure?” Dean asked, his words slow and hesitant. “Cas, are you _sure_?”

_“Yes._ Besides, I wouldn’t be destroying my Grace. We would keep it hidden somewhere safe in case a need ever surfaced,” Cas said, choosing his words carefully. “But I would like to share the rest of my life with you. If you’ll have me.”

Dean could feel the glistening in his own eyes at the quiet confession. Cas sat before him, waiting, and watching, nervous but forever patient. As Dean took a moment to contemplate the choice laid out, he realized it wasn’t really a choice at all. He and Cas were tethered together, their bond one that sang eternal. They had began as reluctant allies, a bond that blossomed into friendship and family over the years. Somewhere in the midst of all their sacrifices, Cas became more important to Dean than he could have ever imagined. Somewhere between all the laughter and betrayal, mourning and sorrow, Dean had fallen in love with the Angel who had sacrificed Heaven and Hell for him. It was all still so new for Dean, the emotions he felt nearly overpowering him but he gave a nod and told his fears to stick it where the sun couldn’t shine down. 

Their hands roamed freely, lips searching with every kiss, no longer afraid to give in to this feeling between them, no longer afraid to submit. They let themselves breathe each other in, hands carving out every curve and sharp angle, learning of their existence. As the kisses grew more insistent, needy sounds fell from Dean’s throat with every slip of tongue that Cas gave him. A part of Dean wanted to fall backwards on the cool metal, to drag Cas above his own body and lose himself in the moment. But he also knew that when their bodies finally came together as one, he didn’t want to be caught out in the open. As sappy and romantic as it was and sue him, but he was soft for that crap despite his insistence of no chick-flick moments, Dean wanted their first time to be in his bed. _Their_ bed. Safe and warm in their bedroom, sheets tangled around their bodies where all they could feel was each other and nothing else. Their first time together deserved more than a fumbling in the dark. He wanted to take his time and map out every curve of Cas’ body, to feel Cas against him, inside him. When years ago, the thought of being with another man would have made Dean run, with Cas, everything was different. None of those misgivings mattered, not after everything they had been through and all the times they had died and come back. This was their chance at the truest form of happiness, a chance to submit themselves to a connection that not even the Heavenly Order or Lucifer could shatter.

“Hold up,” Dean said, breaking his lips free and laughing fondly when Cas chased him and stole another kiss. “Sweetheart, hold up a second. I don’t exactly want us to do the deed here, out in the open.”

He saw the glistening in Cas’ eyes and quickly realized the pet name he had said. Dean chuckled through his flush but Cas reached for his head and held him in place.

“I like hearing you call me that,” Cas whispered, lowering himself down, teeth grazing across Dean’s collarbone and up his jaw.

“For an Angel with little experience, you know what you’re doing,” Dean said, arms tightening around the body above him.

“I may be inexperienced,” Cas said, tilting up to catch his eyes. “But I have years of pent-up longing that I can finally address. Also, Google is quite informative. So is the Pizza Man.”

Dean flushed again and looked to the side, the move allowing Cas to lower himself down and leave another mark on his neck. It would bruise over, Dean was sure, but deep down he craved it. The idea of being marked, of belonging to someone else made his heartbeat turn rapid. The Mark of Cain and his connection to Amara had been dark. This was the light.

“I love you,” Cas said, breaking through his thoughts again.

Dean swallowed hard at the words. For so long, emotions had been difficult for him to address. The way they had been raised, all the pain he and Sam had survived, expressing himself had always been a challenge. But with Chuck defeated, the world no longer ending, Sam happy with Eileen and Cas back from the dead, Dean felt his discomfort slowly ease away. This wasn’t a one night stand with a nameless stranger, a way to pass the time and scratch an itch. This was Cas, his best friend, the person he loved so profoundly he could barely comprehend it. He wanted to do this right. They both deserved it.

“I love you too,” he said, pulling the Angel’s face up to meet his eyes. “Let’s get out of here and go home. I’m getting too old for fooling around outside like this. You, me and our bed.”

He flushed once more at his own words, knowing he should be embarrassed but the smile Cas gave him was worth it. They shared a final kiss before they slid off the hood and climbed inside the Impala, cooler dropped into the backseat, the beers long forgotten.

“Will we tell Sam?” Cas suddenly asked. “If you wish to keep this between us, I understand. We can behave as if nothing’s changed.”

“He knows, Cas,” Dean said, shaking his head. “According to the smartass, he’s always known. Back when Lucifer first got raised, I think that little speech of yours in Bobby’s hospital room made him start seeing things a little different.”

“I hunted, I rebelled and I did it, all of it, for you,” Cas repeated the words from so long ago, making them both smile at the memory of that day.

“But even if Sam didn’t know, I wouldn’t hide this, Cas. I don’t want to,” Dean added. “You’re it for me, buddy.”

Cas’s tilted his head, his expression growing thoughtful. “Perhaps don’t call me ‘buddy’ any longer?”

Dean laughed and leaned forward. “What do you want me to call you then?”

“Cas is fine or Castiel when I’m so deep inside you that you lose all ability to think,” Cas said, the words making Dean laugh in surprise, his body growing hot. “I liked Sweetheart as well.”

“Well, Sweetheart,” Dean said, stealing a quick kiss. “You’re it for me, you know? I’m not going to hide it.”

Cas gave a wide grin and stole his own kiss. “What can I call you?”

Dean switched on the engine and pulled through the open field. Once they were back on the main road towards the bunker, he turned his attention over. “What do you wanna call me?”

“Love muffin?” Cas asked, laughing at the look of horror Dean gave him. “What about Baby Cakes? Sexy Pants? Sugar Lips?”

“The hell have you been Googling?” Dean barked through his own laughter. “None of that Pizza Man porno crap, Cas. You call me any of that in bed and I’m gonna kick your ass out of it.”

Smiling fondly, Cas inched forward across the seat and took Dean’s free hand in his. The move was sugary sweet but Dean couldn’t find it in himself to care. He let Cas twine their fingers together, smiling again at the soft touch of a kiss across his knuckles.

“I’m thinking Sugar Pie, Snowflake and Honeybun are out as well?” Cas asked and Dean simply shook his head in dismay. “Maybe I’ll call you Beautiful or Gorgeous.”

“Cas,” Dean started, his cheeks tinting red.

He glanced over and saw the wheels turning in Cas’ head, his eyes growing dark in a way that left Dean completely breathless.

“Perhaps you should drive faster,” Cas directed, all casualness vanishing from his voice.

Dean swallowed hard and pressed on the gas, allowing Cas to hold his hand the entire way. When they were back in the bunker, parked downstairs, they turned towards each other in the silence. A quiet beeping made Dean glance at his watch before he looked back up and grinned.

“Happy new year, Cas.”

“Happy new year, Beloved,” Cas whispered back, their lips finding each other again.

They left the Impala and made their way inside the bunker, holding hands as they strode quietly down the hall. The sound of laughter echoed from Sam’s room but neither cared to stop by for conversation. When they reached the door to Dean’s bedroom, they stopped at the open entrance and peered in. The bed sat at the center of the room, large and comfy, an open invitation.

“A second nightstand?” Cas suddenly asked, realization dawning upon his features.

Dean smirked and Cas was quickly on him. The kiss was all tongue and teeth, bruising their lips red. Moving backwards blindly, Dean stumbled into the bedroom that was no longer only his. With the door being locked behind them, to rule out any form of interruption, Cas yanked off his trenchcoat and tossed it to the chair beside them. Dean was on his back, moving towards the pillows when Cas climbed over and covered his body. Looking up into those blue eyes, Dean understood the importance of this second chance. He understood the significance of the choice he had made and at the end of it all, he had chosen happiness. Their lips pressed together, a promise between them. After years clouded by anguish, Dean felt the weight of choosing to love Cas and accepting that love in return, deep in his chest and all the way through to his soul. The ache he had felt inside him for so long was finally gone.


End file.
